On Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Frank Nobilo – “I think this is America’s best stage for its national championship… Selfishly I like the way the U.S. Open was set up in the nineties with that sort of unfairness. And I guess in some respects it’s because it added a wrinkle where you knew it was going to frustrate so many players… The game has changed so much in such a short period of time. I don’t think you can give these guys the same exam as previous generations. The U.S. Open is back where it should be, and it should be stellar this week.”Brandel Chamblee – “When you think about this tournament, the U.S. Open should be played here every single year. Because it does produce the type of winner, the grittiest, most implacable of men that you think of when you think of a U.S. Open champion.”Chamblee – “The U.S. Open is the toughest psychological test in golf. The U.S. Open requires a sort of emotional flexibility because of the challenges the players face off the tee, but also because the green complexes are almost medieval-ly designed and set up to repel golf balls. And that’s especially true here at Shinnecock.”David Duval – “It’s one of those few courses for me – as a player who has been fortunate to see so many great venues under tournament conditions – that make me want to go play the golf course… This one is special. And in doing so you know that you’re probably going to get your teeth kicked in.”

On Phil MickelsonNobilo – “You need a great short game around here… I think the more wrinkles you put into a setup, it’s almost like he’s playing mind games. This is about missing greens, and how you manage it from there on in.”Chamblee – “It’s no surprise that Phil plays so well around here, because it’s one of the few places in the entire world where Phil can find the fairway.”Duval – “He’s going to have to drive the ball better than he has been. We’re back to a proper U.S. Open setup, so the penalty for missed fairways is going to come into play in a big way… But I think as much as anything his putting prowess, and how he’s improved that this year is going to serve him well. You’re going to have to scramble here. You’re going to have to get up-and-down a lot.”

On the par-3 7th hole at ShinnecockNobilo – “The green was designed for greens that [at the time] were probably half the speed… That’s probably one green that they would never build now, a bit like the 17th at St Andrews. It is severe, and [the USGA] will do everything they can to make it as fair as possible… We look at every other sport and the ref blows a whistle, it’s a bad call. The game still goes on. One team is still disadvantaged. In golf I think unfairly we want it to be fair. And it never can be.”Chamblee – “The interesting thing about that day was what transpired after that year. It led to more lenient setups in the U.S. Open. More democratic setups. It had repercussions that we’re still feeling in the game far beyond that one day.”Chamblee – “I don’t think that it was unfair. It wasn’t fun I’m sure. And I don’t really believe that there’s anything you could call unfair on a golf course. It’s just up to you to play the hole and simply deal with it.”Duval – “It did get away from them. I don’t think there’s any question… The challenge is then to figure out how to play the golf hole… I don’t see it getting out of hand this year.”